The captain of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that collided at sea with a merchant vessel last week has been stripped of his command.
Capt. Dave Snowden was removed from command of the USS Harry S. Truman on Thursday because of a loss of confidence in his ability to command, U.S. Naval Institute News reported, citing a congressional notification it reviewed and was confirmed by a Navy official.
On Feb. 12, the Nimitz-class carrier collided with the merchant ship MV Besiktas-M near the entrance to the Suez Canal off the Egyptian coast. No injuries were reported on either vessel. The merchant ship reportedly was sailing under the flag of Panama and owned by Synergy Ship Management of Turkey.
The collision pierced the Truman’s hull above the waterline on the starboard quarter of the ship and damaged a flight-deck extension called a sponson located aft of its starboard elevator, according to USNI News. No injuries were reported. The carrier, which deployed in September from Norfolk, Viriginia, is in port in Souda Bay, Greece, for inspection and repairs.
“Damage assessed includes the exterior wall of two storage rooms and a maintenance space,” the Navy’s U.S. Sixth Fleet said Sunday in a statement. “External to the ship, damage assessed includes a line handling space, the fantail and the platform above one of the storage spaces. Aircraft elevator No. 3 sustained no damage and is fully operational.”
Snowden was a 1996 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a career fighter pilot. Before taking command of the Truman, he was the ship’s executive officer, and he also commanded the amphibious warship USS San Antonio.
The Navy said Capt. Christopher “Chowdah” Hill, commander of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, also a Nimitz class nuclear-powered carrier, will be interim commander of the Truman, according to USNI News. Hill commanded the Eisenhower during an extended deployment to support Operation Prosperity Guardian, a U.S.-led, multinational coalition established to counter attacks by Houthi terrorists in Yemen on merchant and naval vessels in the Red Sea.